A woman who went to the flat of a man she been in contact with on a dating app was drugged and sexually assaulted, police have said.

The man had offered to cook for her, so she went to his flat and was asked to wait in his bedroom while he cooked.

The police said: “At some point she lost consciousness after being drugged.

“She was then sexually assaulted without her consent and told upon waking up that he hadn’t done anything she wouldn't have wanted to.”

It is a rise in such crimes that prompted Gloucestershire police to carry out a campaign against sexual violence.

Since January this year there have been ten recorded cases of sexual violence in the county after meetings between the offender and victim were facilitated through dating apps such as Tinder or Plenty of Fish (POF).

Police in the county have recently given advice to over 500 daters on Tinder about consent and how to stay safe.

Someone using a dating app on their phone

A webpage has been set up specifically to provide this information.

From January to July last year there were four reports of crimes in relation to dating apps, whereas this figure has more than doubled in the same time period this year.

The rise in incidents reported to police mirrors an increase which has been seen across the country.

Sexual violence is any unwanted sexual contact or harassment such as groping someone, pressurising, or forcing them to have sex when they haven't given consent.

The "Tinder" app logo is seen on a mobile phone screen

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Chicken, the lead for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, said: "My concerns around dating sites such as Tinder and POF are that because people have been chatting online it makes them feel safe, but actually it's no different to meeting a stranger.

"It worries me in Gloucestershire that some people aren't taking the necessary precautions when meeting others after talking online.

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Louise Williams, service director at Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC), said: "With society as it is today and with modern technology there are more opportunities to meet people for relationship purposes, for social purposes or for sex.

"What we would ask you to do is think about your expectations for why you're going to meet somebody through online dating.

"Your expectations and your intentions might be completely different from theirs."

GRASAC is a charity based in Gloucestershire which supports survivors of rape, childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault.

Gloucestershire police also has specially trained officers to support victims and will investigate any report of rape or sexual assault.

In a non-emergency situation call police on 101 or email 101@gloucstershire.police.uk or call 999 in an emergency.